3 Ways to List Your Way to Being Motivated to Study

Motivation to study can be ever elusive. There are always other tasks that seem more appealing. At times, even the most undesirable of tasks can be better than cracking open your textbook. Unfortunately, putting study off can result in less than desirable outcomes on exam results day. Here are three ways you can use lists to keep up your motivation to spend time revising.

Do you ever find that when it is time to study, any other activity would be better than sitting yourself down with your textbook? The oven suddenly needs cleaning, the car needs detailing, or you decide it’s time to cull, edit and re-organise your digital photo collection. You are not alone; many people struggle to find the motivation to study.

Unfortunately, studying is one of those responsibilities that can have terrible consequences should you choose to procrastinate or, worse, not study at all. But how does one find the time and energy and the focus needed to get motivated?  Here’s the answer and it only requires three easy steps.

1 – Portion your time and topics.

Too often we lose our focus and energy when faced with a large amount of information that must be learned and studied.  By breaking down your studying into smaller steps that require less time to complete (say no more than 15 minutes), you will be more encouraged – and motivated – to get started and to stay on track.

Look at how much time you have to devote to your studies.  Look at what you need to study. Then create a written list of what topics to cover and how much time you will be devoting to each.  Just by making this plan of action, you will become more encouraged.

2 – Prioritise your life and your learning.

Sometimes, when we know we need to study, it can seem as if suddenly there are a million other things that need attending to at the same time. Work demands, social demands, domestic demands, whatever the distraction, it can make studying seem impossible.  In turn, your motivation to start studying will take a nosedive.

When it seems as if everything and everyone needs your attention now:

• take a moment to once again create a written list of what you must accomplish, then prioritise it.
• rewrite the list so that it is in the order of what must be completed first, second, third, etc. Remember to include the list from Step 1 of getting motivated. Which lessons must be studied before others? Make this distinction based on your familiarity with the concepts and your level of understanding of each.

3 – Reward yourself for crossing off your list items.

Humans are simple creatures sometimes. We all like to be rewarded for a job well done. Be sure to place your lists in an easy-to-view location, then be sure to cross off the completed tasks on your lists. For some people, simply seeing how much you are accomplishing will be reward and encouragement enough.  For others, you may want to plan for a special treat after completing a certain number of items from your lists.

Finding the time, energy, and focus to get motivated to study isn’t always easy, but it is possible if you portion your time and topics, prioritise your responsibilities, and reward yourself for your success each step of the way.  Your sense of accomplishment and pride will feel wonderful!